Adjustable hand rest for crutch



April 10, 1956 c. B. NEPTUNE ADJUSTABLE HAND REST FOR CRUTCH OriginalFiled April 29, 1946 IN VEN TOR AGENT United States Patent ADJUSTABLEHAND REST FOR CRUTCH Charles B. Neptune, Los Angeles, Calif.

oi' ina' application April 29 1946 Serial No. 665,863, 111w Patent No.2,568,654, dated septemher 18, 195 1. Divided and this applicationAugust 23, 1951, Serial No. 243,218

1 Claim. (Cl. 135-51) This invention relates generally to fastening orconnecting means for adjustably securing a cylindrical element to a rodor tube. Specifically, the invention pertains to a hand rest for atubular metal crutch and means for securing the hand rest in selectedpositions on the post of the crutch, the present application being adivision of my application, Serial No. 665,863, filed April 29, 1946,now Patent No. 2,568,654, issued September 18, 1951, for Crutch.

In order to provide maximum comfort for the user and optimum efliciencyin manipulating crutches, it is essential that the hand rests ofcrutches be located at the correct height so that the wearer can graspthe same While assuming a natural stance. It is also very desirable thatthe hand rests be inclined with respect to the horizontal and assume ahorizontally angular position with respect to the arm rests orarm-encircling bands, to insure that the palms and fingers of the handswill assume a comfortable position while the crippled person is walking.The crutch disclosed in my pending application, referred to above, andin my Design Patent No. Dl53,8l8, issued May 17, 1949, was designed withthis ob'ective in view, the crutch being of a particular contour whicheffects resiliency and thus absorbs shock, the crutch being adjustablein height to suit the users by the use of a vertically adjustable footportion at the lower end of the tubular crutch post.

As indicated above, the instant application is concerned with anadjustable hand rest for use in connection with my improved tubularmetal crutch, and it is therefore a particular object of this inventionto provide a hand rest which, when so applied, affords great comfort forthe user by enabling the person to hold the crutches in a more naturalway without extending or turning his arms or hands to any great extent.

Another object is to provide a hand rest having connecting meansincorporated therein by which the hand rest may be secured to thetubular crutch post in any desired position by the simple manipulationof a manually operable actuating means, the connecting means includingone or more binding or clamping elements which positively grip the postto retain the hand rest in the selected position.

Another object is to provide a hand rest, of the character referred to,in which downward force applied to the hand rest during use of thecrutch increases the binding or gripping action and thus serves to bindthe hand rest even more securely in place to prevent accidental releaseof the hand rest which might result in serious injury to the user. Arelated object is to provide a connecting means which may be quickly setwithout the use of tools so that adjustment of the hand rest may be madewith facility.

A still further object is to provide a hand rest which is simple inconstruction, durable in use, and proof against accidental displacementon the crutch post.

Further objects will appear from the following description and from thedrawing, which illustrates, by way of example, several embodiments of myinvention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a full-length, tubular, metal crutchembodying one form of my improved hand rest;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the hand rest;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2; i V

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through a hand rest of alternativeconstruction;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the hand rest of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a side view of a cane-type crutch, showing a further modifiedhand rest;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan view of the hand rest of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of the same.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3, the crutch shown therein includes atubular metal post 10 which has a lower straight portion 11, a curvedand inclined upper portion 12, and a bowed intermediate portion 13. Anarm piece 14 is carried at the upper extremity of the portion 12, andthe lower portion 11 carries a foot 15 which is adjustable verticallyand locked by means disclosed in my pending application referred topreviously, so as to vary the length of the crutch in accordance withthe height of the person who is to use the same. .A crutch of the shapeshown in Fig. 1 has considerable vertical give or resilience, and thusabsorbs the shock which normally is present due to impact of a crutchagainst the ground or floor at the start of each step.

The hand rest, which is designated generally by the reference numeral20, includes a sleeve-like hub portion 21 which surrounds the tubularpost at the intermediate bowed portion 13 thereof. Projecting laterallyfrom the hub portion 21 is an inclined arm 22, which is shaped to begrasped in a hand of the user of the crutch. As shown in Fig. 2, the hubportion has a slightly tapered bore 23 which converges toward the upperend thereof.

A pair of tapered wedges or gripping elements 25, of substantiallysemi-circular cross sectional shape, are disposed within the hub portion21 and have lower ends 26 of increased taper projecting downwardly fromthe hub portion. The elements 25 may be made from any suitable materialhaving a relatively high coefficient of friction. A sleeve-nut or collar28 is screwed onto the lower threaded end of the hub portion and has atapered lower end conforming to the tapered lower ends 26 of thegripping elements 25 and receiving the same.

By this structure, screwing of the collar 28 onto the hub portion 21forces the wedge elements upwardly into the tapered bore, so that theelements are urged toward each other to grip the tubular posttherebetween. Thus, the hand rest 20 is positively secured in place onthe post. To adjust the hand rest vertically or rotatively on the postin position to be grasped normally by the hand of the user, the collar28 is first loosened to release the wedges 25, after which the hand restmay be readily slid vertically and rotated to any desired position. Thesleeve-nut 28 is then retightened to draw the wedges into wedgingengagement with the tube or post It) and thus retain the hand rest inits adjusted position. It will be apparent that during use of the crutchdownward force applied against the hand rest will tend to draw thewedges closer together and thus insure even greater binding action andsafety by preventing downward sliding movement and rotation of the handrest on the post of the crutch.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, my invention contemplates a hand reststructure having a clamping or gripping means of the alternative formshown therein. In this embodiment of the invention, the hub portion 21'of the hand rest 20' has a straight cylindrical bore 30 to adapt it tobe slidably mounted on the post of the crutch. At the lower end of thehub portion, the bore 30 has a conical portion or countersink 31 whichdiverges outward toward said end. An annular collar or sleeve-nut 28' isscrewed onto the lower threaded end of the hub portion 21 and has an endflange 32 upon which rests a plurality of balls 33. The balls 33 arereceivable in the conical portion or seat 31 of the hub, as shown inFig. 4.

Assuming that the collar 28 is loosened, the hand rest is free to beadjusted vertically and rotatively on the post 10. After the hand resthas been adjusted to the selected position, the collar 28' is tightenedon the hub portion 21, and this forces the balls 33 into the conicalseat 31, which then functions to draw the balls radially inwardly intowedging engagement with the periphery of the post 10. Thus, the handrest is effectively secured to the post, and downward force appliedagainst the hand rest will cause the balls to grip the post withincreased force so that accidental shifting of the hand rest isprevented.

It is also within the concept of this invention to provide a hand restof the character shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8. The crutch shown in theseviews is one of the cane or Canadian type which is carried by the lowerpart i the arm, the crutch having a tubular metal post 40 provided withan adjustable foot 41 at its lower end and with an arm-encircling band42 at its upper end.

A hand rest 43 is provided intermediate the ends of the crutch post 4%,this rest including a band or strap 44 partly encircling the post.Extending between the free ends of the strap 44 is a cross-pin 45.Pivoted on the pin 45 is a gripping element 46 in the form of a camhaving a cam edge 48 arranged eccentric to the pivotal axis. Connectedto or formed integrally with the cam 46 is a slotted arm 49 provided atits free end with a hand rest portion 50 which is preferably circularand may be either solid or hollow, as desired, the upper surface beingconvex. A hand rest of this shape has been found to be more convenientlyand comfortably gripped between the palm and lingers of a hand.

To adjust the hand rest 43 vertically and rotatively on the post 40, thearm 48 is pivoted in counterclockwise direction so as to withdraw thecam 46 from the post, after which the entire hand rest structure may beadjusted to any desired position. Following this adjustment, the arm 49is pivoted downwardly in clockwise direction to cause the cam edge 48 towedge against one side of the post 40. This action causes the band orstrap 44 to be drawn tightly against the opposite side of the post topositively secure the structure in place. It is to be noted that sincethe user of the crutch applies weight against the hand rest arm 49during walking, the tendency is for 4 the arm to pivot downwardly, thuseven more securely locking the hand rest in its adjusted position toprevent accidental shifting thereof in either vertical or horizontaldirections.

It will be apparent that a hand rest of the particular shape illustratedin Figs. 7 and 8 may be used in conjunction with either of the grippingdevices of Figs. 2 or 4, and that the rest 22 of Fig. 1 may be employedwith the devices of Figs. 4 or 8, within the concept of this invention.

in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I havedescribed the principle of operation of my invention, together with thedevices which I now consider to represent the best embodiments thereof,but I desire to have it understood that the devices shown are onlyillustrative and that the invention may be carried out by furthermodified means.

1 claim as my invention:

In a crutch having a single, upright tubular metal post: a cantilevertype hand rest carried by and projecting radially from the axis of thepost, said hand rest having a hub surrounding the post and provided witha slightly tapered bore converging toward its upper end, the lower endof the hub being threaded externally; at least two wedge elements ofarcuate cross-section disposed within said bore and tapering toward saidupper end, the lower ends of said wedge elements projecting below thelower end of said hub and being tapered downwardly; and a screw sleevescrewed onto the threaded end of the hub and having a conical portionengaging the lower, tapered, projecting ends of said wedge elements,said sleeve being operative to force said elements upwardly in saidtapered bore so as to cause the elements to slide axially alongv saidtapered bore to be forced radially inwardly thereby so as to wedgebetween the post and said hub and retain the hand rest in selectedpositions of vertical and horizontally angular adjustment, engagement ofsaid conical portion with said tapered, projecting ends of said wedgeelements causing radially inward gripping action of said ends below saidhub.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 40,443Crandall Oct. 27, 1863 172,689 Barrett flan. 25, 1876 258,797 Newell May30, 1882 881,908 Dossert Feb. 6, 1906 1,331,109 Hunter Feb. 17, 19202,184,358 Moore Dec. 26, 1939 2,483,396 Benson Oct. 4, 1949

